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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · rash · craft · bound · roll · capital · wake · wound

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. capital — money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bound — obliged
  6. craft — a skill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. craft — boats
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — certain
  15. rash — a series
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. capital — a city
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com